Force Background
The Force The Force was a metaphysical, spiritual, binding, and ubiquitous power that held enormous importance for both the Jedi and Sith monastic orders. Known as the Way in ancient times, the Force was viewed in many different aspects, including, but not limited to, the light side, the dark side, the Living Force, the Unifying Force, the Cosmic Force, and the Physical Force. The first two aspects were concerned with the moral compass of the Force, as manifested by the conduct and emotions of living creatures who were themselves part of the fabric of the Force. The light side of the Force was the facet aligned with compassion, selflessness, self-knowledge and enlightenment, healing, mercy and benevolence, while the dark side of the Force was the element aligned with hatred, fear, covetousness, anger, aggression, jealousy and malevolence. The latter four aspects were defined by prominent Jedi philosophies: The Living Force dealt with the energy of living things; the Unifying Force, with the entirety of space and time; the Cosmic Force, with life after death; and the Physical Force, with anything within one's surroundings. Though the Force was categorized in this way, there were no specific abilities or powers that were only usable by a follower of a particular path of the Force; the Force partially existed inside the life forms that used it, and drew energy from their emotions. Some beings, particularly the Sith, believed that the dark side of the Force was more powerful than the light, though it was possible that the dark side was just more tempting to those who used it (or desired to use it). Others thought of the Force as an entity capable of intelligent thought, almost as a sort of deity. Anakin Skywalker, who was believed to have been conceived by the Force itself, may have shared this belief; if this was indeed the case, it would add credence towards the view of the Force as a sentient entity. Though the Force was thought to flow through every living thing, its power could only be harnessed by beings described as "Force-sensitive." This Force-sensitivity was correlated with, and sometimes attributed to, a high count of internal microorganisms called midi-chlorians that were found in a Force-sensitive's blood: the higher the count, the greater the being's potential Force ability, though there were some exceptions to this rule. Force-sensitive beings were able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and agility as well as control and shape the world around them. Sometimes this ability was described as having a strong Force "aura". The grandiose nature of the Force made it quite difficult to study as a whole; a student could easily become lost in its depths or flounder with the shallows trying too eagerly to focus on a speck in the void. To remedy this situation, the Force had long been broken down into four aspects: the Living, the Unifying, the Cosmic and the Physical Force. In this way scholars may choose to focus on the tangible realities of the world and how the Force manifests in the lives of individuals and within the moment, or to delve deeper, reaching outside oneself to wonder at the mysteries of the universe on an infinite scale. The idea of a Living Force reflects the aspect of the Force which connects all living beings. The tangible Force; the present here and now which flowed about to allow a Forceful being to sense life and death. Scholars of the Living Force like Qui-Gon Jinn espoused a philosophy of "living in the moment," relied heavily on their instincts and concentrated more on sensitivity to living things, rather than fulfilling destiny or looking to the future. They believed that the future's instabilities cause uncertainty, and that the present held the answers to near-future events. The idea of a Unifying Force reflects the aspect of the Force which required a significantly greater amount of understanding than the Living Force, constituting it as a single cosmic power and creating visions of the future that were of particular significance. The idea of a Cosmic Force reflects the aspect of the Force which connected the Living Force to a unifying gestalt, allowing the user to become one with the Force and manifest themselves as ghosts. The idea of a Physical Force reflects the aspect of the Force which allowed one to manipulate objects within his or her surroundings. The light side of the Force was concerned with the ideals of good, benevolence, and healing. Followers of the light side strove to live in harmony with the world around them, acting out of wisdom and logic rather than anger and hasty judgment. In order to achieve harmony with the light side of the Force, its practitioners would often meditate to clear themselves of emotion; particularly negative emotions such as aggression, fear, anger, and hatred, since these were thought to bring on acceptance of the dark side. The dark side of the Force was considered by the Jedi to be the element aligned with fear, hatred, aggression, and malice toward all living things. Such emotions seemed to increase the strength and abilities of a user of the dark side, providing a path towards personal power and the destruction or control of all opposition. It was generally accepted that use of the dark side of the Force was extremely addictive. Dark side Jedi were known as Dark Jedi. Some light Jedi, such as Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Jaden Korr, and Galen Marek, could use dark side powers. Alternate views of the force The Potentium view of the Force, not to be confused with the Unifying Force, was strictly disapproved by the old Jedi Order. While similar to the Unifying Force, which suggested that there was only one Force that did not take sides, the Potentium view stated that the Force and the galaxy in general were inherently good. According to this belief, the so-called dark side was not made up of specific "parts" or "abilities" of the Force: as espoused by the Light Side, it existed inside the life form which used it, made from their emotions. By that standard, and unlike the Light Side, all Potentium followers could perform any action and use the Force in any way they saw fit, as long as the intention behind it was good. In contrast, the Old Jedi Order acknowledged the existence of Potentium, but made it clear that it was subverting of the Jedi teaching and a way to misguide people to the dark side, or a means to serve it.1 The living planet Zonama Sekot supported the Potentium theory of the Force as well. The Way of the Dark, or simply the Dark, was a view of the Force taken up by Cronal and those that taught him. It was effectively the polar opposite of the Potentium, but taken a step further. This Way of the Dark belief did not just deny the existence of the Light side of the Force; it stated that the Force itself was simply a small extension of the Dark. This system stated that destruction was the universal constant that all things worked towards, going so far as to call it the "will of the universe". An initiate was taught that if one made destruction his primary goal, with whatever scheme he was taking part in being a secondary objective, then the Dark would effectively reward the initiate for the devastation caused by pushing the secondary objective to success.2 As a prime example of this, Cronal cited that Palpatine was able to achieve success against the Jedi and the Republic because his primary motive was the destruction of both parties. However, once he had achieved these goals and set about consolidating his rule and building the Empire, his focus shifted from destruction to creation, in total opposition to universal processes. Thus when before he could not fail, now he could never succeed.2 Darth Traya, a female Sith living during the Old Sith Wars, believed the Force to be akin to some sort of deceptively sinister, indifferent god. She pointed to the numerous wars fought by countless Force users, as proof that the Force cared nothing for the lives it consumed, so long as balance was achieved. This philosophy emphasized the belief that neither the light nor the dark side was truly superior to the other, and that if people were to be truly free, the Force had to be eliminated from the galaxy. This was generally a very unpopular theory with both the Sith and the Jedi, and this practice disappeared with Traya's death. However, after the defeat of the dark side entity Abeloth, Grand Master Luke Skywalker came to a similar conclusion regarding the nature of the Force. While he ascribed no intentions or emotions to the Force, he believed that the Force being out of balance was the cause of the horrific amount of death and chaos that had occurred in the time since the death of the Ones. Instead of believing that the Force should be destroyed however, Luke instead took the approach that, to keep the galaxy at peace, Force-adepts themselves had to actively maintain the balance of the Force.3 The Aing-Tii monks from the Kathol Rift viewed the Force in a way different, but similar to the view of the Jedi. Instead of the dark and the light sides of the Force, they viewed it as having many colors, much like a rainbow. They believed that the Force could manifest itself in different ways, which allowed a being to develop unique abilities, unknown to most of the Jedi and the Sith. They believed the Force was much too complicated to be just light or dark. According to their beliefs, Force-users were not strictly good or evil, but instead had their place in a larger spectrum.1 The Fallanassi called the Force the White Current and saw it like the river flowing through the galaxy and all living beings. A single person could not alter the current any more than a being could divert a river with one hand. Thus, the Fallanassi immersed themselves in the Current, letting it flow through them. This way they managed to shape its flow without imposing their will on it, which also opened them a way for unique Force abilities.1 The Sorcerers of Tund shared most of the Sith beliefs, which was not surprising, given the fact that their order was founded by Sith mages. However, they viewed the Force as a magical power and manipulated it mostly by arcane symbols and spells. The Jedi viewed the sorcerers as merely another Force sect, but would often try to "convert" the Sorcerers, attempting to convince them to use the Force without any of their trappings of magic and mysticism. However, they were unsuccessful, and eventually the Jedi contented themselves with making sure the Sorcerers did not descend into the dark side. The Killiks believed that The Ones represented the Force. They believed that the Daughter represented the Light Side of the Force while the Son represented the Dark Side of the Force. Their father tried to maintain the balance between them on the planet they called home. Incredibly powerful, their fighting was destructive until another came to bring peace to the family, though this brought about the creation of Abeloth. In the Clone Wars, Anakin would meet the Ones in the Mortis Monolith, where the Father claimed it was the Chosen One's destiny to take the dying Father's place and control the Son and Daughter. An intense scene of power would bring about all the Ones' deaths. The Killiks were unaware of this and awaited for their arrival when they learned Abeloth, the Bringer of Chaos, was freed. Disturbances in the force The Force existed in all life, and when great amounts of life passed away, a disturbance was created, running through the Force like a scream that Force-adepts could hear. This was how a "wound in the Force" was created at the battle of Malachor V during the Mandalorian Wars when the Mass Shadow Generator was unleashed. In addition, when the Mandalorians destroyed the cities of Serroco using nuclear weapons. This happened again when Alderaan was destroyed; Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.…". The students of the Jedi Praxeum felt a similar disturbance when the Carida system was destroyed. It was suggested that Yoda could not even stand on Kashyyyk as Order 66 was being executed. It was as if Yoda was being overpowered by the disturbance caused by the many simultaneous Jedi deaths. It is possible that those strong in the Force could have glimpses of what is creating the disturbance, though the severity that the adept would feel would depend on numerous variables, including both their training and their innate connection with the Force. This could explain why Yoda seemed to know what happened when Obi-Wan Kenobi was about to look at the security recordings of the Jedi Temple. However, while typically called "disturbances", they were sometimes be referred to as "tremors", as Darth Vader did about Obi-Wan's presence at Death Star I. Disturbances could also be felt lingering from a past event, such as when Leia Organa Solo felt a disturbance when she visited the place where Anakin Skywalker slaughtered an entire village of Tusken Raiders. Unusual occurrences of the force in nature The Rakatan Force-enabled hyperdrives allowed them to travel to hyperspace. The ysalamiri were a species of tree-dwelling lizard-like creatures that were immune to most effects of the Force. The creatures exuded a "bubble" which "pushes back" Force energy, making them useful tools for individuals (such as Grand Admiral Thrawn) requiring a means to nullify a Jedi's abilities. They originated on the world of Myrkr. It is mentioned that the ysalamir, when put together, create a much more extensive bubble, sometimes expanding a few kilometers outside their native forest. They evolved this trait to survive being hunted by the predatory vornskrs, pack animals that hunted by tracking down live prey using the Force. A creature with a similar peculiarity was the taozin, a large, gelatinous predator. Though not widely known, at least one of these creatures was alive deep in the undercity of Coruscant approximately ten years before the Clone Wars.4 Gurlanins could also 'hide' themselves from the Force, though they could also make themselves detectable in the Force at will if they chose to. While not immune to the Force, Hutts were highly resistant, having an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation. Toydarians were immune to mind tricks as well. The Yinchorri and the Dashades were also largely unaffected by Force mental manipulation, and were thus both utilized to varying degrees by the Emperor; the Yinchorri during the period surrounding the Stark Hyperspace War and the Dashadi during the first few years following the Great Jedi Purge. Additionally, Force-resistant creatures called terentateks were a major threat to the Jedi. Some suspected that they were created by the Sith to hunt down the Jedi. Periodically, the Jedi held a Great Hunt in an attempt to hunt down and destroy all of the terentateks. The monsters appeared to be extremely long-lived and resilient. Although not natural, voxyn could hunt Jedi and other Force users by noticing their "Force scent." Like all other Yuuzhan Vong biots, they were immune to direct manipulation by the Force and could not be sensed by Jedi. This, in addition to their other abilities, made them a significant threat to the Jedi Order. Hssiss could influence Force-sensitive beings around them. If bitten by an hssiss, one would succumb to the effects of a dark side poison. Hssiss also had the ability to conceal themselves and become invisible, possibly doing so through the Force. Sith magic was sometimes considered outside of the Force by some of its practitioners, though how much of that is true is unconfirmed. The Yuuzhan Vong could not be sensed or affected directly by the Force as they had been stripped of it around 15,000 BBY. However, it was theorized by some Jedi, particularly Jacen Solo that the Vong were connected to the Force in a way that the Jedi could not sense, because the Jedi believed that all life depended on a symbiotic relationship with the Force to at least some degree. However, the notion that all life was dependent on the Force was apparently disproven by the Jedi Knight Meetra Surik. During the Battle of Malachor she cut herself off from the Force so completely that she became a Wound in the Force, completely dead to it and completely disconnected from it. The Sith Lord Darth Traya viewed Surik as definitive proof that life could exist independently of the Force and sought to exploit Surik's condition to suit her own ends. Using the force in Palladium To use the force in Palladium will typically cost Force Points. Each power will list how much is needed to activate the power, and how long it takes, in actions/attacks, for the power to go into effect. Abilities do not generally use Force Points, though Techniques may. See each power, ability, and technique for speciffic details. Non force users can try to save versus the force but are need 15 to do so. Force users save against the force based upon their OCC. This number can be higher as well based on the level of the force user (Much like how spell strength increase for magic users). Jedi/Sith OCCs get a +1 to their power "strength" at Levels 4, 8, and 12. All others get a +1 at levels 7, and 14. Overuse of the force It is possible to continue to keep using the force after you have used up all of your force points. To do this takes a literal physical toll on your body. For every force point needed you can "burn" 2 sdc. Once out of sdc the toll becomes greater costing 3 hp. There is a further toll when doing this. For every 10 sdc or hp used this way, you permenently lose 1 sdc or hp accordingly and it cannot be recovered. Additionally the more you do this the even greater toll it takes on your physcial self. For every 5 sdc or HP permanently lost in this way you lose 1 point from your PB score to a minimum of 3. This effect is most typically seen among dark side users and Sith as they tend to over use the force significantly while Jedi and light side users are generally more judicious in its use, though there are examples on both sides of the force , of dark siders who are judicious and light siders who are not. Falling to the Dark side The act or doing something in anger has consequences for force users more so than it does for non force users. While an alignment shift is possible by non force users, it is a steeper and quicker slide for force users. If a force users acts out of anger be it a use of the force of physcial act, they start their path to the darkside. It will take an equally selfless act to negate that dark action. Also the more you act out of anger the easier it becomes to fall. In game terms this means if the force user attacks in anger and hurts the target they gain a strike against them. Each cumalative strike will push them closer to sliding towards the darkside. Basically it means the consequences of your action have serious reprucussions for you. Example - in Star Wars Episode I Obi-wan attacks Darth Maul after he feeled Qui-Gon. Had Obi-wan killed Maul in that way he would gain a dark side strike. As it was he was unable to defeat Maul while angry and not until after he calmed himself was he able to Kill Maul and in the end avoiding such a strike. The following is a table of how dark actions will affect a force user. Scrupulous - 3 strikes drops you to Principled Principled - 3 strikes drops you to Unprincipled Unprincipled - 3 striked drops you to Anarchist Anarchist - 2 strikes drops you to Abberant Abberant - 2 strikes drops you to miscreant Miscreant - 1 strike dros you to Diabolic GMs need to keep a close eye on these things to make it work. There is no hard and fast rule to exactly when and if a strike should be given.